“We were all at a Malignant Methods concert in Paris and decided to form a beatdown band together.”
Sometimes it really is that simple. Forming in 2024, Paris beatdown crew Morko played their first show in October of that year and had their debut EP, First Target, out barely a month later.
While you’ll read in a sec that they weren’t too chuffed with their first release, it was a solid enough intro to the band, presenting a sound that guitarist Léo explains draws influence from “old school beatdown (Denied, Shattered Realm...), more contemporary beatdown (Nowhere 2 Run, Slim NW, Foghorn), slam (Sanity Slip, Snuffed on Sight...) and a bit of death metal.”
“The name Morko comes from the title of a demo track,” adds the band’s other guitarist, Louis. “We were trying to find a name for the band, but eventually chose this one because it was unique, cool, and catchy. We later discovered that it means ‘bogeyman’ in Finnish.”
Living up to that name even more so is their brand new EP, Morkology: tougher, meaner, and a lot better produced, it delivers six tracks of mosh science that could open up a horseshoe bigger than the Arc de Triomphe.
“We just wanted an EP designed for live performance,” offers vocalist Vincent on the new record. “The studio doesn’t really interest us compared to playing live. We really wanted something heavier, fatter, dissonant, and more impactful, both in terms of production and composition. The goal was really to get people moving and moshing live.”
“For many of us in the band, this is our first project, and we didn’t quite manage to achieve what we had in mind when making the first EP. We failed to capture the energy of our live shows. After the release of the first EP, the feedback was that the live sound didn’t resemble the EP's sound at all, so we really tried to convey this in Morkology.”
As for the lyrics, Vincent adds that “Writing these texts was simply an outlet for all the emotions I’ve felt over the past few years (doubt, anxiety, depression, anger).”
Given their prioritisation of the live experience - as indeed all bands should - it’s perhaps no surprise to see that Morko don’t really discriminate in terms of who they play with. Last year they opened for Denver Youth Crew flagbearers Time X Heist, for example, while just this week they’re on a bill with Paris punks Blastfem and Rouen grindcore outfit Cuntroach.
“There are fewer hardcore bands in France than in the US and England,” explains Vincent. “So it happens more often that styles blend together a bit. We make music to play live; we don’t mind playing with bands of different styles as long as the countercultural spirit is present.”
Naturally, this lends itself to an increasingly thriving scene. “In France, we see that there are young people who are making things happen, and that’s really great to see, like in Marseille, shout out Azurcore Bookings, Lyon Youth Authority, SWP Booking (Bordeaux), and there are also quite a few groups that are being created or evolving in the scene. Shout out Juggernaut, Maran, Hoarah, Spiruline…”
He continues: “But on the other hand, there are many people in the scene who continue to support aggressors/racists/homophobes while maintaining a deliberately small circle.”
Mostly though, Morko are happy with where they’re at, the scene they call home, and what they have coming up. It was drummer Léo who had the first words in this piece, and now he concludes: “Looking ahead, we're eager to play in Switzerland and Marseille for the Sidetrack festival organized by Azurecore booking!”
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Morko on social media: Instagram
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